New Regsitry Set Possibility: The Goofy Set

minibeers · January 15, 2004 10:15PM

I'm trying to put together a set of what I call "goofy" cards. Here are a few examples of cards I have already added to my Goofy Set: 1952 Topps Gus Zernial (baseballs), 1952 Topps Clyde King (cross-eyed Clyde), and the 1954 Topps O'Brien Brothers card. I'm looking to collect the goofiest card from every year from Topps from 1952 to 1979.

I need help defining this set. From 1953 I'm thinking the Dizzy Trout card would work (that name is goofy). From 1973, the Jim Kaat card is goofy becuase the picture if of him just hitting from the plate. They guy was a pitcher, for crying out loud! From 1972, the Billy Cowen card where the photographer captured him with the Angels halo over his head is very goofy.

If this thread takes off, I'll post some scans. Please help me define the Goofy Set!

cheers,
minibeers

Cubfan · January 15, 2004 10:19PM

I would think that you would have to add at least one of the 2 Claude Raymond open zipper cards.

helionaut · January 15, 2004 10:43PM

These occur to me:
1955 Bowman: Pretty much any umpire card. I mean, c'mon, umpires?
1955 Topps - Spook Jacobs. Spook is right.
1957 Topps - Hank Aaron. You'd think they give Hank a little more respect.
1958 Topps - Whammy Douglas. Check it out.
1960 Topps - Johnny Unitas. That's goofy.
1969 Topps - Aurelio Rodriguez. Batboy.
1975 Topps - Claude Osteen. Worst airbrushing in the history of bad airbrushing.
1976 Topps - either Kurt Bevacqua World Champion Bubble-blowing, Pete Rose's way-too-close-up, or Oscar Gamble World Champion Mickey Mouse ears Afro.
1977 Topps - Reggie Jackson. Because they totally dissed the Orioles.

And there has to be a Don Mossi card in there somewhere.

mikeschmidt · January 15, 2004 10:59PM

How about 1972 Billy Martin and 1984 Fleer Jay Johnstone

aconte · January 15, 2004 11:19PM

1953 Red man Joe Black.

aconte

The53Kid · January 15, 2004 11:27PM

For 53 Topps, Trout is a good choice, but I think these 3 are in the running:

#3 George Crowe - Makes Trout's glasses look like featherweights
#69 Dick Brodowski - Like an alien from SouthPark
#262 Bob Oldis - Love the ears

This site is great for looking through many vintage sets:

Virtual Card Gallery

And for 1981 Topps, #62 Joe Pettini - a dyed blonde Fr. Guido Sarduchi

KING KELLOGG · January 15, 2004 11:45PM

1959 Topps Baseball #436...

"Granny Hamner"...........(Granny..????..) Ha!

Larry

jimtb · January 15, 2004 11:49PM

1976 Oscar Gamble, what an afro!

dstudeba · January 16, 2004 12:26AM

The 1959 Lou Burdette card has him posing with a left handed glove instead of a right handed one (or visa versa). He might have done this in '58 too. I am pretty sure in is Burdette. I remember my dad telling me about it years ago when we were going through his cards.

seinbigd · January 16, 2004 12:37AM

Although it is a newer card and not a Topps Issue, the infamous Billy Ripken card comes to mind. On second thought, PSA will not grade it due to the obscenity on the bat.

GoSoxBoSox · January 16, 2004 12:42AM

<< <i>Although it is a newer card and not a Topps Issue, the infamous Billy Ripken card comes to mind. On second thought, PSA will not grade it due to the obscenity on the bat. >>

Cop out. It's a card...they should grade it. They grade the old Hitler war cards don't they?

GoSoxBoSox · January 16, 2004 12:43AM

BTW, I have an early 1990's Hustler set with an Ginger Lynn Rookie. Think they'll grade that

Now that set has some "goofy" cards in it. yahhoooooooo

estang · January 16, 2004 1:07AM

1973 Jim Kaat card is cool and appropriate. He was on of the games great hitting pitchers. He hit 16 home runs and had his highest single season average in 1972 at .285 (which was 100 points higher than career average). He batted .222 in 9 post-season games.

Anyway, how about:

1. 1975 Oscar Gamble
2. Don Mossi, take your pick
3. Find the worst air brushed hat/helmet you can find (some of those 77 Mariners are pretty bad)

34GoudeyCollector · January 16, 2004 2:16AM

It looks like to me that PSA grades the FF Billy Ripken, unless they did it in the past and not now??

FF Billy Ripken PSA

Ken

thegemmintman · January 16, 2004 2:23AM

<< <i>Please help me define the Goofy Set! >>

Include non baseball stuff like the 1973-on Topps Wacky Packs

minibeers · January 16, 2004 2:54AM

I'm going to turn this entire thread into a checklist. Awesome responses! Thanks, everybody. I had thought about the 53T Brodowski and then I saw Dizzy. Now I must have both. I also thought about the 69 Rodreguiz(sp?) Batboy card. Good call on that one. I'm going to have to look up a lot of the others.

Every year, I buy a Topps factory set and throw it to my kids, the three little wolves that they are. I was flipping through them and came up with this goofy @$$ card. He looks a bit old for T-ball and the hat sure isn't standard issue:

2003 Klesko

edited to add link

yawie99 · January 16, 2004 2:57AM

I could be wrong on these, but I think Glenn Hubbard is posing with some type of constrictor on his '82 or '83 Fleer card, and I think Tim Flannery is posing with his surfboard on his '88 Fleer card.

minibeers · January 16, 2004 3:18AM

Looks like someone is way ahead of me on this:
Funny Cards Link

I'm more interested in pre-1980...

minibeers · January 16, 2004 4:13AM

1960 is tough. Not much goofiness. It is a toss up between Wally "unibrow" Moon or #204 - Ryne Duren who is wearing shades in both pics.

edited to fix typo

NickM · January 16, 2004 6:00AM

The Hubbard (shown on the linked page) is '84 Fleer. '72 Billy Martin In Action (kicking dirt on the umpire in an argument) belongs in any list.
'70 Jim Fregosi (with a truck between his legs) is a classic.

Arguably the entire 1938 Goudey set and the 1943 MP & Co. set should be put in the list.

Nick

theplasticman · January 16, 2004 6:31AM

I remember my dad and I (I was like 9 or 10) and got a pack of 1985 Topps.

One of the cards I got was:
Rusty Kuntz

Naturally I said the players name outloud (the funniest way to pronounce it) and my dad laughed pretty hard.

Poor Rusty.

goodriddance189 · January 16, 2004 6:45AM

Collector's Sportslook (the best card mag ever) ran an article on goofy cards in the mid 90's. some of my favorites included-

the 1984 fleer card featuring a Cubs player with a Boa snake around his neck

the 1995 Pinnacle hockey card of Olaf Kolsig where he's holding a hot dog with "OLAF" spelled in mustard on the weiner.

the 1966 and 1967 Topps cards of Claude Raymond. if you ever come across them, look closely. his fly is unzipped. to add insult to injury, they appear to be different photos, so poor ol Claude went commando 2 years in a row. here is a pic of the '66 raymond-

Mantlefan · January 16, 2004 8:41AM

Don't forget Goofy!!

Cubfan · January 16, 2004 11:34AM

Mantlefan- Wasnt that who the Yankees traded to KC for Maris?

sagard · January 16, 2004 12:13PM

I think there is a 1952 Topps card where the player is sticking 4 or five baseballs to his bat.

minibeers · January 17, 2004 12:12AM

sagard - that '52 cards is Gus Zernial and has 6 baseballs on his bat which signifies the fact that he hit six home runs in four consecutive games right before that photo(illustration) was taken. I've read he actually hit 7 homers, but who's counting.

Mantlefan - I would like to add your goofy card mock-up to my web site when I post my goofy checklist. I'll give you credit if I have permission.

Keep the goofiness coming! I'm working on the checklist and I'll have it posted here later today or tomorrow. Again, my focus is Topps 1952 through 1979 but, in cases of severe goofiness, allowances will be made. Some years will have 2 or 3 cards due to rampent goofiness in a particular set. We may need to vote on some of them.

By they way, I'm adding the 1955 Phil Rizzuto card to the list. He looks like he is avoiding some serious injury to the family jewel department. Even the look on his face is priceless.

cheers,
minibeers

edited to add link55 Rizzuto

Mantlefan · January 17, 2004 12:27AM

Mantlefan- Wasnt that who the Yankees traded to KC for Maris?

Yes Cubfan, the A's also wanted Mickey Mantle for Maris, but they settled for Mickey Mouse and Goofy instead! Those KC GM's weren't very bright.

Mantlefan · January 17, 2004 12:50AM

My nominee: the 1958 Don Mossi....

If you are accepting vintage football:

1960 Unitas...

and 1964 Philly Jim Parker....

robstar · January 17, 2004 1:12AM

This 1971 OPC Rogie Vachon has his head superimposed on another players body.

pebblyjack · January 17, 2004 1:29AM

It was a little more execrable than having "not-so-bright" GMs in Kansas City. When the A's became available after Connie Mack's death, the Yankees championed Arnold Johnson to buy the team. The AL approved him. The Yankees then recommended that he relocate the team to Kansas City (the location of the Yankees AAA team), which he did in 1955. Coincidentally, or not so coincidentally, Arnold Johnson was a close business associate and social friend of Yankees co-owner Del Webb and a former minority owner of the Yankees. As subsequent events disclose, it was clear where Johnson's loyalties lay.

In 1954-55 Art Ditmar was the A's best pitcher. He was traded to the Yankees.

Bobby Shantz was the A's second-best pitcher. He went to the Yankees with Ditmar.

The Yankees later acquired Enos Slaughter from the Cards. When he didn't hit, the Yankees dealt him to the A's. When he started hitting again, the A's sent him back to the Yanks.

The Yanks "gave up" on a young Ralph Terry and sent him to KC. When he found himself and became the A's best pitcher, the A's sent him back to NY.

The A's best player in 1956 was Suitcase Simpson. In 1957, he was a Yankee.

The A's best player in 1958-59 was Bob Cerv. In 1960, he was a Yankee.

Of course, after the A's determined that Clete Boyer and Roger Maris could indeed play, they were sent immediately to the Yankees.

Out of it all, the A's netted Jerry Lumpe and Norm Siebern, young Yankees who had not yet quite established themselves, (both went to the A's in 1959). Both ended up as two of the A's better players of the early 60s. But, had Arnold Johnson not died in 1960 and the team been sold to Charlie O. Finley, Lumpe most likely would have succeeded Richardson at second and Siebern would have been in pinstripes at first. (Stengel's famous quote regarding Lumpe is: "Lumpe looks like a helluva player, until you see him play.").

Thus, it was more than a series of lop-sided trades that benefitted the Yankees. It was an orchestrated arrangement between Johnson and the Yankees. And, although it stunk to high heaven, nobody, except maybe the fans in KC, noticed or paid any attention to it.

You gotta love syndicate baseball. Kind of makes you long for the "good" old days, doesn't it?

Thanks

Randy

minibeers · January 17, 2004 2:29AM

Robstar,
that '71 vachon is off the hook

Also, I forgot about that Unitas card. Looks like he's getting an @n@lprobe. It will be mine. Oh yes, it will be mine...

minibeers · January 17, 2004 2:32AM

not the @n@lprobe, the card. the card will be mine.

Mantlefan · January 17, 2004 3:09AM

Great post Randy. Those 7 and 8 player trades with the A's were always amazing. I was not aware of the A's ownership situation.

Cubfan · January 17, 2004 4:37AM

Good work Randy. I was somewhat aware of the situation, thats why I thought Goofy would fit right in there

.

If I remember correctly, didnt the Yankees also banish Billy Martin to the A's after his nightclub escapade? It was probably the only team that would take him.

RobE · January 17, 2004 5:26AM

minibeers · January 17, 2004 7:33AM

Hey RobE,
Give us a caption for that Mark Lee card. What is that guy thinking in the photo?
Scott

RobE · January 17, 2004 7:41AM

I hope I don't go back to Hawaii again for next season .

RobE · January 17, 2004 7:42AM

How the hell am I on a mint card that's 60/40?

purelyPSA · January 17, 2004 8:00AM

I'm partial to any of those '64 Philadelphia Cleveland Browns cards, all posed with a late 50s Caddy in the background. Also needed is a Lowell Palmer card with those sunglasses on - a '70 or a '71 will do.

minibeers · January 17, 2004 10:41PM

RobE - You are definitely NOT at your wits end.

purelyPSA - can you put a scan up of one of those 64' with the caddy? I've never seen one and I would like to put one in the Honorable Mention section of my new site I'm working on.

Lowell Palmer was my 1970 runner-up after the Jim Fregosi truck card. Now I'll use him for 1971 as all I had was the Cubs "head" team card in mind.

Ok, last call for entries. I'm having trouble finding goofy cards from the following years (error cards don't count unless created on purpose):

1960, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 68, 74, 78 and 79

Thanks for everyone's help. I should have my new web site with the master fantasy set list with scans up in a week or so.
Scott

Mantlefan · January 18, 2004 12:34AM

Purely PSA....for some strange reason, the otherwise beautiful 1964 Philly FB set used shots of the Cleveland Browns team in the parking lot of Municipal Stadium. They're all there, posed in front of Jim Brown's white Caddy...love those fins!!

Mantlefan · January 18, 2004 12:48AM

Scott, 1962 is real easy...I give you the immortal Mr. Baseball....George Alusik:

mrc32 · January 18, 2004 1:17AM

Mantlefan-
I love the shot in front of the CADDY. It is what makes vintage card collecting so great.

jimtb · January 18, 2004 2:18AM

I have never seen the Jim Brown/Cadillac card before! At first I thought it was a fake! what a cool card, thanks for posting the pic.

NickM · January 18, 2004 3:24AM

'78 had a Cubs head card. '61 Cal McLish (with his eyes closed) might be goofy enough for inclusion.

Nick

CW · January 18, 2004 8:02AM

helionaut suggested:

>> 1957 Topps - Hank Aaron. You'd think they give Hank a little more
>> respect.

Hmmm... I must be missing something. What's goofy about the 1957
Topps Hank Aaron? Is it something with the write-up on the back?

confused,
Chuck

Cubfan · January 18, 2004 8:39AM

The 57 Aaron has the picture reversed so it shows Hank apparently batting left-handed. Im sure someone can post that.

Those pics in front of the car always puzzled me too. I could never tell if they were authentic or if it was a cut and paste job. Except, why would they cut and paste a car lot on the card?

CW · January 18, 2004 9:35AM

Cubfan--

Ah, yes, now I remember! Thanks!

minibeers · January 18, 2004 12:10PM

I don't think I'm going to enter the 57 Aaron card in the set as it could have been a simple photoroom screw-up. However, some @$$hat in the paste-up room may have thought he was cute and did it on purpose. Either way, it more a disrespectful error card than a funny.

1957 is a tough set for a goofy card. They really did a good job with the photography and captured some great shots. The only one I have come up with is card #54 of Elmer Valo. The first point is for being named Elmer. The second is he is choosing a bat in the dug out with a massive television camera in the background. Very strange pose for an otherwise predictible year.

57 Elmer

If someone thinks there is a funnier card from 57, let me know. The Ted Kluszewski card is a good one but is more cool than funny. The cut-off sleeves are over the top. 57 Ted

New Regsitry Set Possibility: The Goofy Set

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